stepover
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description
The stepover is by far one of the deadliest skill moves to have in your locker. When performed correctly, it can help you to get past any defender in a 1v1 situation. The stepover can be used to get that space between you and your marker for a pass, cross or shot. The skill just oozes flair and that’s why its been used by footballing greats like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho & Ronaldo to name a few.
Step 1
- Plant your standing foot to the side of the ball, allowing room for your stepover foot to come between the inside of the ball and your plant foot.
- Make sure your plant foot is in line with the ball.
- You should avoid planting your foot behind the ball as you’ll be off balance when attempting. Ideally, you want your foot in line with the ball.
- Avoid planting too far ahead as you can easily hit the ball or hit your planting foot whilst attempting.
- Avoid planting your foot too close as you will hit it whilst attempting.
- You can plant as wide as you want. As long as you’re able to bring your stepover foot around the ball.
- When you plant your foot in this way, it looks as if you’re going to push the ball away with your next move.
- Your upper body should stay upright and slightly over the ball.
Step 2
- You need to do a half circle around the front of the ball, so bring your stepover foot 180 degrees around from the inside of the ball to the outside.
- When bringing your stepover leg around, your knee should be slightly flexed.
- Plant the foot you stepover with wide of the ball to help make it look like you’re pushing away.
- Planting wide will also allow you to perform multiple stepovers.
- Your upper body should follow the stepover and slightly dip. This helps to make it look like you’re pushing away that side.
- When your stepover foot is planted, you can exit the move (unless performing multiple).
- Use the outside front part of your foot to push the ball diagonally out of your feet.
- It’s important to know where you’re exiting after the skill. Do you want to get past the defender for a shot, cross or pass? Then you’ll need to exit on your stronger foot side unless you’re comfortable exiting on your weaker foot side.
Step 3
- Now try the stepover when you’re dribbling as this is when its most effective.
- When performing the stepover, try to keep your eyes looking between the ball and the defender. Using your peripheral vision is important.
- When trying with your dribble it’s important to perform the move on your front foot.
- Try against a defender or set out some cones to represent the width of a defender.
- You will need to be quick when doing the stepover so try to increase the speed in which you perform the stepover and the push away once you get the technique.
- Trying against a defender is extremely important as it best represents a match situation.
- Watch the defenders movement using your peripheral vision, if you see them reacting to your initial stepover, that’s when you push out the other way. Performing the move quick is also key as it gives the defender less time to catch you.
- It’s also important to perform the stepover with a bit of distance between you and the defender. You have to get the right separation, so not too far away as they’ll have more time to recover and not too close as you risk being intercepted. We recommend a distance of around 1 and a half to 2 steps.
- Keep the ball close to you when dribbling before you try the move. The defender has less of a chance to intercept when the ball is closer to you.
- Is the defender jockeying you? Pay attention to which side they are showing you to. It might be useful to stepover to the side they’re showing you and then pushing out the way they’re not showing you. A stepover can easily switch their stance, allowing you to push past even to the side they’re showing you towards.
- Practice performing multiple stepovers, this will give the defender even more problems in trying to read your moves. If you’ve already tried one stepover and it has or hasn’t worked, the defender will think you’re doing one again, thinking they’ve got you, this is where multiple stepovers can really be effective.
- It’s very important that you carry out the move with confidence and belief. The more times you practice, the more confidence you’ll gain.
- If you look at the top players and when they attempt the stepover, it’s when they’re dribbling forwards with the ball and the defender is jockeying. The defender will need to react to any change of direction in order to block a potential cross, shot or pass. When you perform a stepover you’re essentially making it seem as if you’re going to push away in the stepover direction. You’re also able to react quicker than the defender because the defender has to react to where they think the ball is going and can often be lured into where your stepover foot is going as it’s so close to the ball.
Extra
Skills should be done at speed to really throw the defender off and get past them. Remember, by doing to move quick and exiting quick, you’re giving the defender less time to react to your move. You should slow things down if it’s not quite working for you, remember that repetition is key when learning something new.
You should also keep in mind that the end goal after a skill move is for it to lead to something that benefits your team.